The scammer documentary appears to be a factor nowadays, maybe as a result of there are sufficient scammers for a number of documentaries. Sarcastically, Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, which tells the story of Belle Gibson, and ABC’s Scamanda, which tells the story of Amanda Riley are about two very related tales—most cancers scammers.
Scamanda, which is streaming on Hulu, is predicated on the podcast of the identical identify and goes in-depth into the story of California native Amanda Riley, a younger spouse, and mom who turned well-known for running a blog about her struggles with Stage 3 blood most cancers. Riley went on to obtain $100,000 in donations earlier than her claims got here below suspicion.
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An previous buddy of Riley’s, Lisa Berry, ended up being the rationale she was caught. Berry reached out to investigative podcast producer Nancy Moscatiello concerning the alleged rip-off, with police getting concerned quickly after, in addition to the IRS. Nevertheless, even in spite of everything of this, Riley tried to maintain up the ruse on social media.
“She used her presence on these websites to ‘doc’ her nonexistent medical situation, and to aggressively solicit donations, supposedly to cowl her medical bills,” the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace informed PEOPLE. “In fact, [Amanda] had no medical bills. The donations she obtained had been deposited into her private financial institution accounts and used to pay her residing bills.”
What occurred to Amanda Riley after her rip-off was found? The place is she now?
The place’s Amanda Riley now from Scamanda?
After Riley’s rip-off was found, penalties adopted. In July 2020 she was charged with wire fraud by the IRS “in reference to a scheme to solicit donations from people to assist pay for most cancers remedies she by no means wanted nor obtained.” In 2021, Riley pled responsible to the fees and confessed to her rip-off. “In fact, as I knew, I didn’t have Hodgkin’s lymphoma and have by no means been recognized or handled for Hodgkin’s lymphoma or some other kind of most cancers,” she stated in her plea settlement.
Prosecutors beneficial an 18-month sentence, however Riley was as an alternative sentenced to 60 months in jail, with the decide saying she discovered “the general public to be at a big threat” from Riley. “I do imagine that this can occur once more,” she defined. Riley was additionally ordered to pay restitution for the sum of $105,513 and sentenced to 3 years of supervision following her launch.
Amanda Riley has been in jail serving her sentence at Federal Medical Heart Carswell in Ft. Price, Texas since 2022. The San Francisco Chronicle reported final 12 months that Riley was nonetheless faking diseases even whereas in jail, with information indicating she was taken to the emergency room 24 instances within the first 18 months of her sentence. She was additionally reportedly caught attempting to tamper with check outcomes. Riley nonetheless has 48 months of her sentence to go.
Riley’s husband, Cory, was not charged with any crimes and filed for divorce from her in 2024. Nevertheless, not everybody believes in his innocence, as his former stepdaughter Jaymie stated through the docuseries. “I believe Amanda and Cory simply wished issues to go their approach and they’d do no matter they felt they wanted to do, wished to do, to get their approach.”